Friday, February 7, 2014

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials -- February 7, 2014



Western Leaders Stay Away From Sochi Olympics. Snub To Russia? -- Howard LaFranchi, Christian Science Monitor

Many Western leaders have issues with Russia today – Syria and human rights among them. For the US, add NSA leaker Edward Snowden. However, Asian leaders and those from former Soviet republics are in Sochi.

When the Winter Olympics opened in Sochi, Russia, Friday, no major Western leaders joined Russian President Vladimir Putin in the VIP section.

No Barack Obama, no David Cameron, no François Hollande, no Angela Merkel.

But Asian leaders, and the heads of post-Soviet states on Russia’s western flank, were there in full force.

The divide offered a vivid picture of where Russia – and its ambitious, nationalist leader, Mr. Putin – stand in the world today.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Opinions, And Editorials

Problems at Sochi Reflect Problems in Russia -- David Francis, Fiscal Times

Sochi: Putin Still on Track for Gold -- Nikolas K. Gvosdev, National Interest

Autocratic regimes don’t make good Olympic hosts -- Washington Post editorial

Putin’s Sochi and Hitler’s Berlin: The Love Affair Between Dictators and the Olympic Games.-- Garry Kasparov, Daily Beast

Assad’s low-tech WMD: Starvation -- Anne Applebaum, Washington Post

The petulant Secretary Kerry -- David Horovitz, Times of Israel

Splitting Up Iraq: Yes, Biden Was Wrong -- Douglas A. Ollivant, War On The Rocks

Regional Reverberations of a Bad Iran Deal -- Michael Rubin, Commentary

Are Pakistan's talks with the Taliban bound to fail? -- Deutsche Welle

Tangling With China -- New York Times editorial

How the U.N. should handle South Sudan -- Alison Giffen, Special to CNN

Australia in Afghanistan: Longest war draws to a 'bittersweet' end after 12 years -- Chris Masters, ABC News (Australia)

Why Schapelle's story grips Australia -- Peter Fray, BBC
In Ukraine's political deadlock, rumors fly fast and furious -- Sabra Ayres, Christian Science Monitor

C'mon Ambassador Nuland, tell us what you really think about the EU -- Rick Moran, American Thinker

Q&A: Scottish independence referendum -- Andrew Black, BBC

Troubled Times: Developing Economies Hit a BRICS Wall -- Erich Follath and Martin Hesse, Spiegel Online

Look to your jobs – the robots are coming -- Jeremy Warner, The Telegraph

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